Combined tie clip and necktie protector



April 16, 1963 e. T. BIXBY COMBINED TIE CLIP AND NECKTIE PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 28, 1959 IN VENTOR- 6'0) 2" B/XBX ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,085,247 CUMBHNED THE CLIP AND NECKTIE PRQTECTOR Guy T. Bixby, Playa Del Rey, Calif, assignor to Lyle B. Weber, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Oct. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 849,382 15 Claims. (Cl. 2-46) This invention relates to clothing protectors in general and in particular to a device, in the nature of a bib or napkin, for covering a necktie during dining or beverage drinking, to protect the necktie from the accidental spilling of food or beverage thereon.

The major object of the invention is to provide a tie protector which is especially convenient for adjustment thereof to an operative position covering the necktie. More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a tie protector which can be worn constantly and can be quickly and easily adjusted from a retracted, fairly inconspicuous condition to an extended, operative condition covering the necktie.

A further object is to provide such a tie protector, which is its retracted condition, has the characteristics of a tie clip of the presently popular type including an ornamental bar which traverses the forward face of the necktie while a spring clip finger engages the back of the necktie against the shirt front to hold the tie in proper position. Accordingly, a further object is to provide an ornamental apparel accessory combining the functions of an ornamental tie clip and a tie protector.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide a protector for a four-in-hand necktie, adapted to be attached to a four-in-hand necktie, approximately midway between its upper and lower ends, to function as a tie clip when in retracted condition, and quickly operable to extend respective cover strips upwardly and downwardly from this mid-area to cover the upper and lower areas of the necktie.

A further object is to provide such a device, which is relatively simple and inexpensive, yet of satisfactorily durable construction so as to be commercially feasible and saleable.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specification md appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a necktie protector embodying my invention, shown in extended condition with relation to a necktie which is indicated in dotted lines as being concealed behind the protector;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device with one arm of the fastener element thereof shown in section;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the clip-roller unit of the device;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the clip-roller unit, one end portion thereof being shown in axial section; 7 FIG. 5 is a front elevational-sectional view of a modfied form of the invention;

. FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail end view of the device in rolled-up (retracted) condition;

FIG. 7 is an end view of a modified form of the roller element;

FIG. 8 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of end-bearing parts of the device;

FIG. 9 is a detail end view showing the preferred means for attaching the protector ribbon to the roller; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of another modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which my invention may be embodied, a tie protector, indicated generally at A, adapted to cover and protect a four-in-hand necktie B. The necktie B shown tied, includes pendant portions 10 (comprising the two ends'of the tie) depending from a knot 11, with the knot being shown in a conventional position, centered between the lapels of a shirt collar 12.

The tie protector of my invention comprises a clip 13 of conventional hairpin form, including a clamp finger 14 at the rear, and a half loop bight 15 joining the finger 14 to a roller-mounting bracket (preferably of sheet metal) which is indicated generally at 16. Preferably, the clip 13 also includes a forward arm 17, perferably straight and flat, which is joined (e.g. by soldering) to the back web 18 of the bracket -16. The back web 18 is preferably likewise straight and fiat and joined in faceto-face contract with arm 17.

The bracket 16 further includes a pair of bracket arms 19 of U-bend form, bent forwardly from the respective ends of the back web 18 and thence return-bent toward one another, parallel to web 18 and terminating in bearing-support lugs 20 (FIG. 5) of reduced width, positioning shoulders 21 being defined between each bracket arm 19 and its integral projecting lug 20, at the base of the latter.

The attachment clip 13 is of resilient material, with suflicient elasticity to maintain its normal configuration approximately as shown in FIG. 4 under normal conditions of usage in which the clip is applied to the tie and the front vertical hem of a shirt to clamp the two together, with some spreading action between the finger 14 and mounting arm d7 and with a mild clamping action of these two parts against the interposed tie and shirt hem suflicient to hold the tie in alignment with the hem during normal wearing usage, and with sufiicient elasticity to avoid deformation of the clip beyond its elastic limit while being spread to receive the tie and shirt hem and while being detached therefrom under normal usage conditions. While the metal utilized in fabricating the clip need not necessarily be of the degree of hardness and elasticity to which the term spring metal is customarily applied in metalurgical and engineering phraseology, it will be understood that spring metal (even to the extent of hardness characterized by clock spring steel) can be utilized if desired, and also that metals of somewhat lower degrees of hardness and elasticity, but with sufficient spring to avoid permanent deformation in usage as indicated above, can also be employed. For example, the clip .13 (and also the bracket 16, which likewise requires a moderate amount of elasticity as more fully set forth hereinafter) may be of spring brass, with a suitable plated finish of noble metal or other non-tarnishing metal, such as gold, silver, chromium, etc. as commonly used in the finishing of jewelry of various grades.

The bracket arms 19 are of sufficient elasticity to maintain the lugs 20 securely positioned within bearing bushings 22 which are secured with a snug fit in the ends of a tubular roller 23, and have a frictional drag engagement with the bore wall thereof, thus providing a braking drag for resisting the rotation of roller 23 andholding it in a non-rotating condition when it is not subjected to any substantial torque forces. Bushings 22 are of a tough, wearresistant material, slightly compressible and elastic so as to maintain moderate compressive engagement with'the roller bore for providing the aforesaid drag. Nylon material is suitable for the purpose.

Attached to roller 23 (FIG. 3) is a protector ribbon 24 providing respective upper and lower protector strips 25 and 26 adapted to be simultaneously rolled up on the roller 23. Preferably, a single strip of waterproof sheet material is provided with a return-fold or bight 21 midway between its ends and the bight 27 is attached to the roller 23 by suitable means, e.g., by riveting or cementing it to the roller or by inserting it into a slot extending longitudinally in the roller (e.g. a crack between longitudinal side margins of a strip of metal curled into cylindrical tubular form to constitute the roller). The bight 27 may be held in such slot by frictional engagement by the opposed lips of the roller defining the slot. Such an alternate construction is shown in FIG. 7, wherein the roller is indicated at 23a, the slot at 28a, and the slot-defining lips at 2901, the fabric strip 24 and its bight 27 being indicated in broken lines.

To the upper protector strip 25 is attached a fastener 30 for attaching the upper strip member 25 to the tie knot 11. The fastener 30 includes a transversely extending bar 31 of channel section, receiving and clamped upon the upper end of upper strip member 25, and a relatively narrow, centrally disposed finger 32 projecting upwardly from the center of channel 31 and terminating in a hook 33 adapted to be hooked over the upper margin of the front portion of knot 11 in a centered position such that the upper protector strip 25 will depend forwardly of the upper portion of tie pendant 1,0, with the latter disposed behind the upper strip member 25 and completely covered and protected thereby.

As the preferred means for attaching the ribbon 24 to the roller 23, FIG. 9 shows a band 28 of adhesive tape Wrapped around the roller 23 and adhesively secured thereto, and having end tabs 29 adhering to opposite faces of the ribbon bight 27.

Secured to the lower end of the lower protector strip member 26 is a bar 34 of channel section (preferably of metal for maximum weight), receiving and clamped on the end of the lower strip member 26. The bar 34 functions to weight down the lower end of the strip member 26 to maintain it in a position depending from the roller 23, completely covering the lower portion of the tie pendant 10 In the operation of the device of my invention, it is normally worn with the respective strip members 25 and 26 rolled up on the roller 23 with the fastener 30 drawn downwardly against the forward side of the roll 24' of ribbon material, with its hook 33 hooked around the roll 24' as indicated, and with binding bar 34 disposed behind the roll 24 in a position which may vary depending upon the exact relation between the respective lengths of protector strips 25 and 26.

To use the device, the fastener 30 is pushed upwardly,

detaching the hook 33 from the roll 24, and with the fastener 30 grasped between the fingers, the upper strip member 25 is drawn upwardly, thus unrolling the roll 24' with the binding bar 34 and lower strip 26 moving down: wardly by gravity, until the two strip members are fully unrolled, with the fastener 30 registering with tie knot 11. The hook 33 is then hooked over the upper forward margin of the knot 11 as previously indicated, and the device is thus readied for its function in protecting the tie during a meal. To re-roll the protector strip 24 upon the roller 23, the wearer engages one end of the roller between his thumb and forefinger, indicated at 36 and 37 in FIG. 3, and twirls the roll 24' between his fingers as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3, until the fastener 30 and bar 34 are drawn back to the retracted positions indicated in FIG. 6, whereupon the fastener is secured as shown in FIG. 6 and as previously described.

Alternatively, the roller 23' (FIG. may be provided at one end with a knurled knob 35 for finger-thumb turning of the roller.

In the retracted condition of the device, the frictional retarding engagement of the bushings 22 against the ends of roller 23 function to hold the roller against unrolling movement in response to vibration, movement of the clothing, etc. which would otherwise tend to unroll the roller.

The elbows 19 are sufliciently resilient and elastic to be swung outwardly to release the roller 23 from the bracket 16 for the purpose of replacing the protector ribbon 24 by a new ribbon when desired. This is particularly important in connection with the attachment of the ribbon either in 4 the original assembly or in the replacement operation, to the slotted form of roller shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows the preferred arrangement of holding means acting between the bracket arm 19 of bracket 16 and a bearing bushing 22 of roller 23, bearing bushing 22 having an outer end portion projecting beyond roller 23 as illustrated, and having therein diametrically opposed notches 40 adapted to receive the shoulders 21 at the base of the respective support lug 20 in order to lock the bushing 22 to the bracket 16 to prevent rotation of the bushing. The bearing bushing 22 is fitted snugly within the roller 23 and is frictionally engaged by the cylindrical inner surface of the roller under a yielding engagement which permits the roller to turn upon the bushing, but with sufiicient drag to hold the roller in any selected position of rotative adjustment except when subjected to the torque derived from a direct pull against the upper protector strip 25 in the unrolling action described above, or derived from the rolling up action between the fingertips as described above. In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 7, the frictional engagement of the bushings by the roller 23a may be a spring loaded one, the spring loading being derived, for example, from the contractive engagement of the bearing bushings by a split-sleeve type of roller 23:: having a slot 28a therein defined by the expansion of the roller as the result of insertion of bearing bushings in the ends thereof. For positive endwise positioning of the hearing bushings within the roller, its respective ends may be provided with counterbores 41 of the proper depth to receive the bearing bushings with the inner ends thereof seated against an annular shoulder 42 (FIG. 7) at the bottom of the counterbore.

It will be understood that the drag between the roller and bracket 16 may be utilized either at one or both ends of the roller. For example, either one or both of the bushings 22a may be slotted for coupling with a respective arm or arms 19.

The material of ribbon 24 is preferably a non-porous synthetic resin plastic sheet material, highly flexible but with a minimum of stretch, as well as being tough and durable, such as the material known commercially as Nylar (a nylon sheet material).

It is to be understood that the spring clip 13 "may be either of the integral hairpin type shown in the drawings and described above,- or alternatively, may be of a construction the same as the common tie clip wherein hingedly connected jaws are spring loaded toward one another for clamping engagement upon a tie etc.

In lieu of the use of bearing bushings having frictional drag engagement with the ends of the roller in the bore thereof, the invention may utilize a spring loaded engagement of the shoulders 21 against the ends of the roller (FIG. 5), with the bushings 22 functioning purely as anti-friction bearing elements and being either fixed in the ends of the roller 23 (as by press-fitting) or loosely rotatable within counterbores in the ends of the roller, and positioned against shoulders 42.

FIG. 10 discloses a still further modified arrangement wherein a roller 23b has end flanges 45 which are located between the arms 1% of bracket 1812, providing for endpositioning of the roller, wherein the ends of the roller projecting beyond flanges 45, are loosely journalled in bearing apertures 46 in the arms 19b, and wherein turning knobs 35b are attached to both ends of the roller. In this arrangement, holding drag is provided for by a spring finger 47, projecting from the center of bracket 18b and engaging frictionally against the roll 24 when rolled upon the roller 23b. The drag finger 47, in end elevation, may be as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 also illustrates a hinged jaw type of spring clip including a back jaw 14b and a forward jaw 17b hinged to one another by a hinge joint 48 loaded by a mousetrap type spring 49.

I claim:

1. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transvresely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for releasable attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a weighted free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie.

2. A necktie protector as defined in claim 1, including a weight of bar form attached to said free end of said lower protector strip and functioning by gravity to assist in holding down said free end.

3. A necktie protector as defined in claim 2, wherein said weight is of channel section and receives and is clamped upon the end margin of said free end of the lower protector strip.

4. A necktie protector as defined in claim 1, wherein said fastener comprises a bar of channel section receiving and clamped upon the free end of said upper protector strip and a fastener finger projecting from the center of said bar and provided with a hook for hooking over the upper central forward margin of the knot of said tie for attaching said free end of the upper protector strip to said knot.

5. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transversely receive and retain the mud ant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clips; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms, means exerting a yielding frictional drag between the ends of said roller and said bracket arms to normally hold the roller against rotation; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the up wardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie.

6. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transversely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms, a bearing bushing frictionally engaged within and exerting a yielding frictional drag against an end of said roller to normally hold the'roller against rotation, said bushing having a pair of diametrically opposed notches in its outer end and the respective bracket arm having at its end a reduced-width lug received in said bushing and a pair of shoulders at the base of said lug, received in said notches to lock said bushing to said respective arm; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie.

7. A protector as defined in claim 6, wherein there are two of said bushings, one at each end of the roller,

' support bracket of yoke form having a central web section mounted upon the forward side of said spring clip and having at its respective ends, integral forwardly and return bent bracket arms of resilient-elastic sheet metal of U-form terminating in roller-support lugs of reduced width in opposed relation to one another in a common plane forwardly of said web portion; a roller having in its respective ends, bearing bushings receiving the respective lugs and cooperating therewith to provide rotatable connections between said roller and said brackets, said bracket arms having, at the bases of said lugs, shoulders which are spring loaded against the ends of said roller by the elasticity of said bracket arms thereby to provide frictional drag against the ends of the roller, resisting rotation thereof and holding the roller normally in nonrotatable condition; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material each attached at one end to said roller and having a free opposite end, said protector strips being adapted to be conjointly rolled upon said roller by manipulation of the roller between the fingertips, and each of said protector strips having at its free end a bar of channel section binding and attached to the respective I free end, the bar of the lower protector strip functioning also as a weight to assist in holding the lower free end portion in a depending position covering the lower portion of the necktie and the bar of the upper protector strip having a centrally disposed finger projecting from its back side and terminating in a hook adapted to be hooked over the central forward portion of the knot of said necktie to support said upper protector strip in an elevated position covering the upper portion of the necktie.

9. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transversely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for releasable attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a weighted free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie, said bracket arms being of U- bend form, including reduced-width terminal lugs opposed to one another in a common plane forwardly of and parallel to said clip, and receivable within the respective ends of said roller for pivotal mounting of the roller on said brackets.

10. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transversely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms; means exerting a yielding frictional drag between the ends of said roller and said bracket arms to normally hold the roller against rotation; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled there on and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie, said bracket arms being of U- bend form, and of spring material, including reducedwidth terminal lugs opposed to one another in a common plane forwardly of and parallel to said clip, and receivable within the respective ends of said roller for pivotal mounting thereof on said brackets, and including shoulders defined in said bracket arms at the bases of said lugs and spring loaded by said arms against the ends of said roller to provide said frictional drag.

11. A neck tie protector as defined in claim 10, including bearing bushings mounted in the respective ends of said roller and receiving said lugs therein, and cooperating therewith to provide for pivotal connection between the ends of the roller and said brackets.

1.2. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transversely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotat'ably mounted between said bracket arms; means exerting a yielding frictional drag between the ends of said roller and said bracket arms to normally hold the roller against rotation; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie, said frictional drag exerting means comprising a spring finger projecting forwardly from said clip between said bracket arms and yieldingly engageable against the roll of flexible strip material comprising said strips as rolled upon said roller.

13. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector com prising a clip to transversely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms; means exerting a yielding frictional drag between the ends of said roller and said bracket arms to normally hold the roller against rotation; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower, portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a free end adapted to hangby gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie; said roller being provided with a turning knob secured to one end thereof.

14. A combined necktie clip and necktie protector comprising a clip to transversely receive and retain the pendant portions of a four-in-hand tie and to be thereby supported by the tie; bracket arms projecting forwardly from respective ends of said clip; a roller rotatably mounted between said bracket arms; means exerting a yielding frictional drag between the ends of said roller and said bracket arms to normally hold the roller against rotation; and a pair of protector strips of flexible sheet material attached to said roller, normally conjointly rolled thereon and adapted to be unrolled to positions projecting upwardly and downwardly from the roller respectively to cover the upper and lower portions of the tie, the upwardly extending protector strip having at its free end a fastener for attachment thereof to the upper extremity of the tie and the lower protector strip having a free end adapted to hang by gravity in covering relation to the lower portion of the tie, said roller having end flanges disposed between said bracket arms and cooperable therewith to position the roller endwise with respect to the clip, and having end trnnnions projecting through bearing apertures in said bracket arms; and a turning knob secured to at least one of the projecting end trunnions.

15. A necktie protector as defined in claim 1, including a knob on at least one end of said roller, for fingermanipulated rotation of said roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 669 321 Holwager et al Mar. 5, 1901 1,847,898 Prestinari Mar. 1, 1932 2,747,192 Katz May 29, 1956 2,821,715 Thiemig Feb. 4, 1958 

1. A COMBINED NECKTIE CLIP AND NECKTIE PROTECTOR COMPRISING A CLIP TO TRANSVERSELY RECEIVE AND RETAIN THE PENDANT PORTIONS OF A FOUR-IN-HAND TIE AND TO BE THEREBY SUPPORTED BY THE TIE; BRACKET ARMS PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID CLIP; A ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID BRACKET ARMS; AND A PAIR OF PROTECTOR STRIPS OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL ATTACHED TO SAID ROLLER, NORMALLY CONJOINTLY ROLLED THEREON AND ADAPTED TO BE UNROLLED TO POSITIONS PROJECTING UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE ROLLER RESPECTIVELY TO COVER THE UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS OF THE TIE, THE UPWARDLY EXTENDING PROTECTOR STRIP HAVING AT ITS FREE END A FASTENER FOR RELEASABLE ATTACHMENT THEREOF TO THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF THE TIE AND THE LOWER PROTECTOR STRIP HAVING A WEIGHTED FREE END ADAPTED TO HANG BY GRAVITY IN COVERING RELATION TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TIE. 